Fire escape



Nov. 23 1926. I 1,608,054 J. c. BRIGHTON FIRE. ESCAPE Filed Dec. 2, 1925 I gwoentov Patented Nov. 23, 192.6.

narrat- STATES Jean 0. BRIGHTON, or ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY.

7 FIRE seems.

Application filed December 2, 1925. Serial N 0. 72,79 3.

This invention relates to fire escapes and more particularly to a fire escape intended for use in apartments and other buildings which would be disfigured by fire escapes erected externally of the building.

One object of the invention is to provide a fire escape in the form of a ladder adapted to be stored in a sniall'bos-liire receptacle which will be heat in appearance and may be disposed upon the floor of a room adja' cent a window without being unsightly.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the ladder that'when the cover is removed from the receptacle the ladder may be readily removed and passed out of the window so that an occupant of the room may climb down the ladder and escape if a hall with which the room communicates is impassable due to the presence of flame or smoke.

Another object of the invention is to provide enlarged eyes at the ends of the rungs which not only serve to connect the rungs with the side chains but also constitute means to hold the rungs in spaced relation to the wall of the building and prevent the fingers from being mashed and permit the feet to readily engage the rungs.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the ladder that it will be very strong and not liable to break when supporting the weight of a number of persons.

This invention is illustrated in the accoinpanying drawing, wherein that the ladder may be of any length desired and a suitable number of rungs provided in proper spaced relation to each other. The chains 2 are formed of interconnected links, each of which includes an upper eye a and a lower eye 5 extending longitudinally of the.

eye 4 but disposed transversely thereof. The ends of the wire strand from which the link 7 the bar or heavy rod as it may be ternied from which the chains are made. These eyes shown in Fig. 2.

igure 1 is a view showing a fragment of is formed are bent about the interme l portion thereof, as shown at (5, iLlIGl eby to ning a link which is very strong and not i i to open when strain is applied by persons climbing up or down the ladder.

The rungs3 are formedfroin bars which are preferably iron or steel but may be any metal desired having strength enough to prevent the rung froinbeing bent or broken when weight is'applied to it. The ends of are bent to form large eyes 7 which are e: raged with the eyes of certain of the li 7 are of greater diameter than the eyes of the links and PTOJGCE from the chain at opposits sides of the rungs, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that when the ladder is in use and a person is ascending or descending the eyes will engage the wall of the building if the ladder swings toward it and prevent the fingers from becoming mashed between the rungs and the wall and also permit the feet to be easily engaged with the rungs. In the preferred construction each of the eyes 7 is formed with a notch or recesss 8 to receive the eye of the chain link and cause the rung to be more readily held in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with the eyes disposed horizontally and'projecting from the chains, as

At their upper or are engaged with strong screw eyes 9, the eyes of which are permanently closed and these screw eyes are preferably screwed into the base board 10 beneath the window 11 or if the room is not provided with a base board they may be screwed into the floor or into the window sill. The box or receptacle 12 in which the ladder is to be stored when not in use is of suificient length to dispose the rungs longitudinally therein and will, of course, be of the proper depth and width to receive .a ladder of apredetermined length. The

ladder must, of course, be of sufficientlength to permit of its being passed out of the windo-w and suspended externally of the building with its lower end close to the ground.

The receptacle may be fastened to the floor by screws 13 or if so desired. it may merely rest upon the floor withoutbeing secured thereto. Acover 14 is provided for the open upper end of the receptacle and this cover ispreferably formed. with depending flanges engaging the outer faces of the walls ofthe receptacle to hold the cover in place.

inner ends the chains Notches 15 are formed in one of the walls and are of suflicient depth to permit of the cover being set firmly upon the receptacle with the chains 2 extending through the notches 15 into the receptacle. inscription is preferably provided upon the lid and outer wall of the receptacle calling attention to the ladder which is to be removed from the receptacle and passed out of the window in case of fire. It will thus be seen that there has been provided a fire escape which is of a simple construction and at the same time very strong and durable and further so constructed that when not in use it may be stored in a relatively small receptacle which will not be unsightly.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A fire escape comprising a ladder in cluding side chains formed of interconnect ed links and adapted to be anchored at their upper ends to a support, and rungs extending between said chains and at their ends provided with eyes passed through certain of said links, said eyes being of greater di- A suitable ameter than the links and having their outer portions formed with internal notches adapted to receive port-ions of the links through whichthe eyes pass and efiect interengagement of the eyes and links to prevent tilting of the rungs out of a position having their eyes disposed transversely of the chains with portions extending therefrom for engagement with a wall to hold the rungs spaced from the wall.

2. A tire escape comprising a ladder in cluding side chains adapted to be anchored at their upper ends to a support, said chains being formed of loosely connected links, and rungs extending between said chains, said rungs being termed of metal bars having their end portions bent to form eyes engaged with certain of the links, said eyes having rcarwardly projecting portions extending isversely of and beyond the chains and a Lapted to engage the wall or a building and space the body of the rung therefrom.

In testimony whereof I afrix my signature.

JOHN o. BRIGHTON. [n s.] 

